The Americans

Toltecs -
Tenochtitlan -Center of Aztec power
Aztec -
Chinampas - Beds of aquatic weed, mud, and earth placed in frames mad of cane and rooted in lakes to create "floating islands"
calpulli - Clans of Aztec societies
Incas - Group of clans centered at Cuzco that were able to create empire incorporating various Andean cultures
Temple of the Sun - Inca religious center ( could be compared as Egyptian pyramids) which also held mummies of past Incas
Split inheritance - Powers and positions that went to a successor (mostly male) in the Inca societies
mita - Labor extracted for lands assigned to the state and the religion
quipu - System of knotted strings utilized by the Incas in place of a writing system



Aztecs

E	Expansion Aztecs Used merchants of allies No market economy triubute payments form subordinate people consisting of slaves food and sacreficial victims
S	10,000 migrants who migrated to the shores of Lake Toltecs Aztecs used as mercanares of allies warriors Slaves from conqured regions -Pochteca: Special merchant class which specialized in long distance trade governed by council head building block of Aztec society Class of Nobility: latter over shadowed by military you are born into your social class social division known by physically in appearance such as clothing and hair and also mentally on a educational level conflict between nobility and commoners Women -peasant-helped infeilds -known for household place -Marrage between 2 lineage - girls must be a virgin at young age of marraige -could inhabit inheritance and heirs -men still dominant
P	Imperial state used political anarchy after fall of Toltecs “to penetrate the area of sedemtary agriculture peoples” City states along central valley of Mexico - competing powers -shifting of alliances* active role in regional politics - had independent power* led buy superream ruler closest to the gods each city state ruled by speaker chosen of nobility System -prime minister -governing council -chief advisor
I	Language: Nahuatl: also spoken by toltecs Art consisted of images of jaguars and eagles devouring human hearts Nezhuelcoyotl's Poetry and hymns Religious art and poetry filled with images of flowers, birds, and songs
R	offerings of human sacrifices to the gods cult Part of Mesoamerrican system 128 major dieties male and female -each had 5 aspects associated with 1 cardinal directions and the center * gods supported by yearly festivals and sacreffices Three major themes Fertility and agriucultrual cycle: Tlalco -god of rain and god and godesses of water maize and fertility Creator Dities -gods and godeses who brought the world together - Huitcilopoohtl- sun god* depended on mythology to explain aspects of life
I	Kinship and residential groupings
T	Chinampas- Beds with aquatic weeds, mud, and earth placed in rows then rooted to the floor -helped spread watter to all plants * Metates-stone boards used to grind corn by hand

The Aztecs at first glance would be seen as savage and uncivilized, however, with their no economy and increases and decreases in population due to incoming migrants and sacrifices, they still kept a common order. There would be a supreme ruler and with that would follow his court, consisting of advisors, the military, his family line and the priests. Religion was very important to those of the Aztec tribe seeing as it was used to describe the the changes and findings of life that to them could not be describe due to lack of cultural and intellectual knowledge and contact with other regions. Their furthest forms of social interactions could consist of expansion through conquest which helped confirm power. The division seen throughout the civilization was clearly evident through clothing, hair styles, education, and domestic livings. Although power was set in place and basic rituals and procedures had been created it did not mean that their were those who completely agreed to the methods used, which explains the social uprisings between the nobility and the people, along with the internal governmental issues concerning the military uprising. This of course showed the weak structure within their system and how it lead to it's decline as similar to many others.





Incas

E	Expansion based on ancient ancestry worship
S	9-13 million people core community self sufficent Women -worked in fields -house household responsibilities -Parallel division between the sexes
P	tension between royal lineages regional subordination state bureaucracy local rulers
I	Extended form Andean cultures Spread of Queche language Makings of bridges, roads, and crossways tombs Women's clothing
R	Sun- highest deity= temple of the sun center of Cuzco state religion local worship of gods belief based on profound animism Holy shrines- tombs, caves, rivers, mountains, etc. animals, goods m and humans used as sacrifices
I	Inca ruler Pachocoti (1438-1471) used military expansion and campaigns along lake Titicaca Inca empire-Twantinsuyu spread form columbia to China *
T	Calender: Aided with the tack of religious festivals of each month Time makers: towers that marked the position of the sun which helped tell time and create and accurate calender Wind percussion instruments such as flutes terrace farming

Summary:
The Incas in a way were very similar to those in the Aztec society. Religion had a huge impact on the way established their civilization in times of question and daily life. Although known for their set supreme rule and state bureaucracy, they still had tension between royal lineages and increase in power. As they may be similar to Aztec society, they shard many differences when it came to the contact and technology increase that held much of our society together today, with the using of time makers and percussion instruments.